A Very Overdue Update

This blog has been silent recently as we have been extremely busy. Since the adoring fans (read: grandparents) are lamenting the fact that there have been no updates in, so they tell me, three weeks, I will oblige. Below is a summary of our past few weeks.

After deciding to stay in our house for the medium-term, we are most likely going to move within the year. Every spare moment has been devoted to house hunting...on-line and in person. Fortunately, Dash loves running through empty houses and muddy build sites. He insists on finding the dishwasher in each house and proudly announcing "Dishes go there!" We were ready to put a deposit on one, but had an eleventh hour change of heart so we are back to looking.

We have been having birthdays like crazy around here. Dash turned 2 (ahem, twice). We celebrated Uncle B's birthday:

Junior's Birthday,

Mommy's Birthday:Mary's Birthday:

and the Feast of the Holy Cross.

Dash now sings himself to sleep with "Happy Birthday." It is the most hilarious thing we have ever heard. He also begs for cake at least twice a day.


Not wanting the little guy's achievements pass unnoticed, I must mention that Jack-Jack is crawling, pulling up and cruising. He uses his walker only when Dash is napping, otherwise Dash yells, "TACKLE!!!" and charges Jack-Jack, otherwise known as the tackling dummy.

Dash is soaking things in...the little sponge that he is. We have "officially started" preschool. This name is only for my benefit as I hope there is nothing schoolish about it. It just helps me to be more diligent in planning ahead meaningful activities for Dash and preparing the environment such that he can help. Dash has his mat and does one activity at a time.
I put them on trays, which he carries.


His favorite activity so far has been using tongs to sort colored cotton balls into an ice cube tray. We have no shelving to lay out the activities, so they are stored in Mr. Incredible's closet (sorry, sweetie) and I bring them out in the mornings. I am in the process of staining some shelves for our learning materials, but they are not yet sealed (taking over Mr. Incredible's garage space...sorry again, sweetie!). Dash helped me sand the wood a few weekends ago.


We don't have a "learning room" of which I have seen so many beautiful examples. This is a part of the impetuous to move now rather than wait for a few years more years.

I have also been reading and putting together "learning" materials for Dash. I have been gathering ideas from Alison's Montessori, Montessori Services, Timberdoodle, Lakeshore Learning, CSA, and Catholic Heritage Cirricula. I love all the catalogues for ideas as well as I am trying to make some of the materials. [My Reading Stack is threatening to take over our bedroom.]

Among the tons of things that I have wanted to post about, one is my failed material making projects. I tried making the geometric insets. The result was very unsatisfying. I tried making red/blue rods. The paint bled. I tried a different kind of harder wood. Same problem. I may get around to taking pictures of these failed endeavors.

Dash also had his first "official" golf lesson in preparation for playing with Grandpa when he and Grandmom move to the area THIS WEEK. Prayers for their safe travel!